When was the last time you set yourself a goal?Last month? Last year? Never?

Goal setting is an integral part of life, but most of the time we don't even realise it's happening all around us. The reason for this is because your goals are probably being set FOR you, rather than BY you.

When you were a child, your parents had aspirations for you and tried to guide you in that direction. When you were in school, your teachers had expectations of you through homework and exams. Now you're working, it's your boss that is setting your goals through performance reviews and targets. But why is everyone else setting goals for you?

It's because you are part of their goals. Your parents wanted you to do well in life because a successful child reflected well on their parenting skills. Your teachers wanted you to excel because it validated their teaching skills. Your boss wants you to perform well in work because it ensures the survival and profitability of the company. In fact, any goal set for you rather than by you is not for the benefit of you at all.

This is why you must set your own goals. But where do you start if you've never set a goal before?

You start with the first step. The Habit Journal has space for 12 goals and one dream goal. I would be amazed if anyone who has never set a goal before (probably more of us than you think) is able to fill all the slots. But the thing is you don't have to come up with 12, you just need 1 to get started. And I have the ideal goal for anyone wanting to ease their way into goal setting and habit tracking:

Goal #1: Use the Habit Journal for one session

The benefits to you from achieving this goal are huge. Making the journal a habit in itself is laying the framework for something bigger. Once you complete this goal you'll find coming up with the next 11 will be a lot easier.

I have my goal, now what?

Here's the easiest way to use The Habit Journal for the first time. Take a pen and write your goal on the 4 week plan page. Then put the pen down because you are done. Don't fill in any other habits. Why? Everything you need to get started with the journal is already pre-printed. These are called the foundation habits. They are habits that you should try to practice every day. They will enable you to gradually build improvement into your life from day one. After the first 4 week session, you should be well on your way to using the journal to track your habits daily. You can then start coming up with new goals and habits for the remaining sessions.